How To Save A Life
by GhostOfAMelody
Summary: A reaper is given the chance to save a life, something she has always dreamed of doing. However, when she meets a young hunter named Garth, she is torn between fulfilling her original goal and spending an eternity with him.
1. Garth

All character rights belong to supernatural.

I figured I'd write this story because there isn't enough Garth love out there.

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I am a Reaper, one of many. Never favoured by my father so never deserving of a name. That was all reserved for Tessa. Tessa and her impeccable ability to persuade anyone, even a Winchester, into crossing over. Perfect Tessa could make even dying seem ok; make the afterlife seem like paradise. I blame myself for all the lost souls still wandering on earth. So many turned their back on me and went mad because of it. Who's to blame them though, all I had to offer was a cold hand and a free passage to Heaven or Hell. I never quite had the way with words that father was hoping for, no condolences have ever crossed my lips. Maybe this was due to my inability to stand behind him, to trust in death. This led to weak pitches full of inconsistencies that even the most far-gone could see right through. Hollow promises coming from an even more hollow being. After each soul passed on, I would plead with my father for the chance to do good for once. For all my years of service taking lives, couldn't I save at least one? And he set me forth with my one and only grace from him; A chance to be human, to become part of the world and to save one life.

"You will stay on earth until you save that life and then you will return to resume your duties. Choose wisely, don't save the first soul you happen upon." My relentless whining had made him weary and he offered no smile with his words.

"Why are you doing this for me?" I feared I would ruin everything by asking, but I needed to know.

Because you need to understand that nothing is without consequence. To let everyone die around you would mean an eternity on earth and yet the soul you choose to spare will be the one that ends you. You do something no reaper should, you care about the dying. This is your one fault." As he spoke the darkness around me receded and a bright light burned my eyes. I shut them tightly until sudden warmth pressed against my skin. Opening my eyes I found myself in the midst of a crowded street bursting with people. The air around me hummed with conversation and music and was filled with the thick heady scents of car exhaust, cigarette smoke and vendor food. I strolled casually down the street, taking care to bump into everyone I could, craving the contact. I received many a glare and harsh word but no one crumpled at my feet with empty eyes. I had been rendered powerless and nothing pleased me more. I ambled around for hours and was in such awe that I hardly noticed when I collided directly with an unsuspecting stranger. Both of us fell to the ground and I felt my first tinge of annoyance towards the person who had brought me out of my happy thoughts. With dark eyes and equally dark hair fashioned in a typical boy's cut, the man in front of me was not overly attractive but rather…cute.

"I'm so sorry, Miss, are you ok?" He jumped to his feet quickly and held out a hand to help me up with. I hesitated only slightly and quickly brushed aside any apprehensions I had as I took his hand firmly in my own. Amazed by the warmth of his hand in contrast with the chill of mine, I allowed myself to be pulled to my feet.

"I'm quite alright, thank you. No harm done." My smile felt genuine for the first time in years.

" I'm Garth by the way. Garth Fitzgerald IV, that is. I would shake your hand but…" His voice trailed off and a blush crept slowly up his face as we both looked down at our still intertwined hands.

"Pleasure to meet you." I couldn't think of anything else to say. My mind had gone curiously blank.

"And your name is?" It was only courtesy for him to ask but I felt my heart sink. I licked my lips nervously and scrambled to come up with an answer, any sort of name. Nothing seemed to fit, even ones I had so previously admired.

"I…I've forgotten mine. It's been so long since anyone has asked." A truth within a lie; no one had ever asked me and I wouldn't have had an answer anyways. He seemed concerned by this and I lost all confidence in my response. To my great relief, a large smile suddenly spread across his face, so full of life and vibrancy that it left me momentarily breathless.

"Then I guess we'll have to find you one! C'mon, I know just the place to look."


	2. A New Name and A New Beginning

Perhaps this is a bit cheesy but oh well. :)

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"Angela?"

"No."

"Eva?"

"No."

"Seraphina?"

"Definitely not!" I couldn't help but smile at the irony of the names he chose. I couldn't understand his incessant need for it to be a one with a biblical meaning. We had been at the library for hours, poring over baby books, receiving the occasional glance and small smile from people around us who assumed we were trying to name our first child. Garth was too absorbed in his works to notice the looks, but I returned each smile, happy to indulge their curiosity.

"Grace?" I sighed heavily in response. I appreciated his effort but none of the names seemed to fit. I leaned over the book and flipped the pages back and forth looking for inspiration, one name stood out among the rest.

"How about 'Alice'?" It was simple but beautifully feminine. I could be an Alice.

"Alice?" Garth frowned for a moment but the trademark smile returned quickly. "I like it, it works. Although I wish you would've reconsidered Guinevere…"

"Would you…say it again?"

"Huh?"

"My name…I want to hear you say it."

"Alice?" He looked puzzled but I loved the way he brought the word to life, solidifying it as my own.

"So, Alice, now that you have a name, I want to hear more about the person who owns it." He sat up straight in his chair, staring at me expectantly. I thought about telling him everything, my purpose on earth, where I came from, even about the monster I truly was. Instead I made up a story, woven from the ones I had ended. The memories I spoke of were last thoughts, the names I chose were screamed by the dead as they were torn away from the people they loved. I brought a conclusion, a unity, to all the unfinished tales since the beginning of time. By the time I was finished, the library was mostly empty and the sky outside was a dusky pink. Garth shook his head in awe and sunk back into his chair.

"Wow. I really have to introduce you to Sam and Dean. They would love you." He had an almost vacant look in his eyes as he processed all that I had said.

"The Winchesters?"

"You know them? Why didn't you tell me so! I was afraid I was gonna have to lie to you about what my job is!" He looked immensely relieved and I shifted uncomfortably. One of us felt bad about lying.

" I know of them…. We haven't exactly met."

"Come with me, I have something to show you and a place for you to stay the night. That is, if you don't already have a place to stay." He looked bashful once more and a strange fluttery sensation filled my stomach. Tessa would surely laugh at how soft I was becoming.

"I haven't had a place to stay in years. Centuries, it feels like." Another truth that he would never understand as anything more than a joke.

We drove to his house, it was rather small and remote but he flung open the door with an unprecedented proudness for it. Looking around the rooms, the only things that stood out were the piles of books and documents outlining everything from how to kill a vampire to summoning demons, and the large amount of phones he had next to an old wooden desk.

"I'm sort of the leader of the hunters, keep track of cases and make sure everyone's busy sort of deal. I used to be a dentist but this is way more fun." He noticed my interest and provided a quick explanation. I took another glance with a new perspective and could pinpoint several other faults; the worn baseball cap he wore seemed a little too large, his mannerisms were unnaturally forced. He held himself with the air of a man trying to fill the shoes of another who was several sizes larger. This thought made me sad and I hope he wasn't going to get himself hurt.

"It's very nice. Very…you." My last comment seemed to please him immeasurably and his cheeks glowed red as he hung up the cap on a rusty steel hook just beside the front door.

"So…..You aren't being chased by anything are you? It seems a bit odd to me that you show up in town randomly with no explanation and based off what you've told me, you've been on the move for quite a while." He tried to keep his tone light but I sensed the serious concern that ran beneath it.

"I'm not entirely too sure, I guess that's always a possibility." Let him think I'm mysterious and impressive.

When I went to wash up for bed several hours later, I stood directly in front of the mirror to admire the piece of art I had become. Looking past my general appearance, I took in the recent additions that lined my arms and back. Carefully drawn in Garth's practiced hand were numerous protection symbols he had taken the time to painstakingly paint so that "I would be safe for the night." I traced each one lightly with my fingertips, admiring the skill that went into them, the time, effort and love that they all required. My face flushed full of heat as I found the smallest, but perhaps most affectionately drawn one, that lay on my wrist. A small heart, a sign of Garth's own commitment to keep me safe. It was the strongest of them all and I wished for nothing more than the ink to sink deeply into my skin and never fade away. As I laid in bed for the first time, Garth's voice saying my name echoed softly throughout my head. I drifted off to sleep to the sound of my strange but perfect lullaby.


	3. By A River In The Woods

I didn't mean to wait so long to post this chapter but school and work got in the way.

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"No, Jack, fire kills a Wendigo! FIRE not water. Do you even have a lighter with you?….Well then you'd better get the hell out of there." Garth's hushed but angered voice woke me up in the morning. By the sounds of it, he was speaking on at least one of his phones while several others rang. I waited a few minutes until he seemed to be ignoring the rest before I got up and walked into the living room. He was sitting at his desk, a plethora of papers spread on top of it, with his head in his hands as the rings of no less than seven phones pierced the air.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up." He murmured incessantly to himself as if his words would silence the people who needed him.

"Garth? Are you ok?" The frustration left his face at the sound of my voice and I soon found myself the receiver of a large hug.

"Morning, Alice! How did you sleep? Isn't the bed nice? I got it for a discount price at a garage sale because the previous owner had died on it." A blind man would've seen my horror. Garth however, did not. "Mattresses aren't the easiest to clean but the stain is mostly gone and it's really comfy."

"Oh." The subject of his ramblings had left me not knowing what to say. Not in an unpleasant way though.

"So, do you want breakfast?" His innocence was all too endearing.

"Ummm…No thank you. I don't usually eat very much so early." I hid my nausea with a well-timed smile and Garth only paused to take a breath before continuing his spiel.

"Well, if you get hungry, help yourself to anything in the fridge. My house is your house. I do have to jet for a couple of hours, there's a Kappa in the river at the edge of town that needs to be dealt with. It's the first one that's been seen out of Japan."

"Can I come?" My interest was piqued but quickly deflated as worry lines creased his forehead.

"I don't think that would be a good idea. Not that I don't want you there, it's just that I've never dealt with this creature before and I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"I won't. I'll be careful. Please Garth, please." I was never good with seduction but the look I gave him made his ears turn bright red.

"Fine, grab your coat and a couple of cucumbers from the fridge. And stay behind me at all times!" He turned away from me and stalked over to the door to grab his cap. I smiled triumphantly and did as he said, making sure the cucumbers were stowed carefully in a large messenger bag I found in my room before following him out the door. The drive was relatively short although I did have to endure raucous pop music that was more noise than anything, as well as Garth's singing for which the same could be said. He stopped the car just outside of a dense, sprawling forest that looked rather out of place next to the fairly well-developed town. Grabbing a large iron rod and a shotgun, Garth led the way into the forest. As soon as we entered, all sounds from the road were cut off and only a sparse few rays of light shone through the compact tree branches. The air temperature had dropped drastically and I hadn't noticed I was shivering until a sudden weight fell upon my shoulders.

"I told you to bring a coat!" His tone was more good-natured than accusing but I blushed all the same. "You're lucky I remembered mine or you'd freeze to death." We lapsed back into silence as we continued our walk. Without warning, Garth stopped and held out a hand to keep me back.

"I hear something. Stay here and don't move." Before I could object, he was gone, racing through the bushes. I sighed and sat down on a moss-covered rock for a bit, whiling away the time counting the spiders that crawled over my shoes. After several minutes with no sign of Garth, I found myself getting antsy and impatient, a fault that I had perceived to always be my worse. Before I could consider following his trail, a soft whispering noise caught my attention. It came from the direction opposite of where he had gone and I was compelled to follow it, leaving Garth's jacket on the rock I had sat upon.

The whispering kept me captivated and I hardly realized where I was going, until it ebbed away suddenly and I noticed the stream to my left. The noise picked up once more and I resumed my search, this time sticking close to the edge of the river, whose current increased in speed the farther I went. Before long I found myself at the far edge of a large pond with a smooth, impenetrably black surface that was lit from within. The whispering had stopped all together and a sudden movement from the centre caught my gaze. A strange, child sized creature emerged from the water and began to swim slowly towards me making an odd gibbering noise. It was scaly and a dark greenish colour with muddy eyes and a deep indent on its head, filled with water. It approached me cautiously and I had just bent down to be eye level with it when it's small clawed hand shot out of the water and dragged me under. Helpless to do anything but struggle, I could only watch as the light on the surface faded and water began to fill my lungs as I drew in involuntary, desperate breaths. The blackness sunk in further and I felt as though I were floating for several minutes before Tessa's voice made me open my eyes.

"You couldn't even go a day without doing something stupid." Her tone was scornful and she viewed me with a look of mild disgust.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed through a raw throat, my lungs burning with each breath I forced out.

"It is my job to show up when people die and you're in the process of that now. It's a good thing the terms of your condition on earth disallow dying or I would have to drag your ass back home. See you around." She offered up a small smirk before walking away from me and I sunk back into the darkness for a few more seconds before another, more frantic voice filled my ears.

"Alice! Alice, wake up please! Please don't be dead, just don't be dead!" I opened my eyes to see Garth's face directly above my own, his eyes shining with tears.

"Garth, I'm alright….I'm just fine….Are you crying?" I pushed him back a little and sat up straight, wincing at the pain in my head and burning in my lungs.

"No…I'm not crying. You're imagining things." He tried to discretely wipe his eyes dry. "You had me so worried! When I came back to where you were and you weren't there….and then I saw you get pulled under…I thought you were a goner for sure."

"Wait…..what happened to that thing that tried to drown me? Where did it go?"

"Over there. Seems like you were the first to find the Kappa. A simple defeat, really, all I had to do was bow and now it's stuck like that." He motioned with his head to where the creature stood motionless in the water, permanently posed in a deep bow, the plate on its head now empty of water.

"Oh…..Well….I guess we're done here then!" I tried to laugh but ended up coughing for several minutes while Garth stood by looking concerned.

"Let's get you back home before I have to save your life again." He said throwing his jacket over my shoulders again and wrapping an arm around me. I noticed his clothes seemed rather wet.

"Wait, did you go in the water?"

"I had to! How else was I supposed to get you out, silly!" He scoffed. It took a lot longer to leave the forest and we got lost several times before managing to get back out into the sunlight, or lack there of. We had apparently spent the whole day in there without realizing it. The moon lit the way as we drove back to the house, listening to country music this time which I enjoyed immensely more than the pop music. I was once again impatient as Garth fumbled with the lock on the front door, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep for the next month, and I could see the fatigue in Garth's face as well. He finally opened the door and hung his cap on its hook before turning to look back at me with a satisfied smile.

"I don't see much of a hunter life in your future but you didn't do half bad. We successfully Garthed the bastard." I giggled at his made up term. Feeling rather spontaneous, I threw my arms around him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for saving me." I whispered in his ear before quickly letting go and racing to my room, slamming the door behind me and sinking to the floor with embarrassment. Through the thin wood I could a quiet and muffled voice come from the living room.

"I'll always save you."


	4. The Truth At Last

Another late chapter, but oh well!

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Several more days passed with little to no excitement. Garth had more cases to check out but forbid me from coming with him on any. I couldn't blame him but locked in the small cabin, I grew restless. Books on demons could only entertain me for so long. As I whiled away the hours waiting for Garth to come back from a reported werewolf sighting, I couldn't help but yearn to be a reaper once more. Nameless or not, I at least had a job and a purpose. As a human I was once more sunk into anonymity, perhaps even more so now that I had all the power of a rock. I could inflict pain and not much else. Luckily for me, a heavy pounding on the front door saved me from my thoughts. I crossed the room quickly and swung open the door with exuberance, narrowly receiving a fist to my face. Behind the door stood two men, the shorter of whom was in mid knock when I had answered the door.

"Ummm...Hi. We're looking for Garth." He said in mild surprise as he carefully removed his fist from the proximity of my face.

"He's out at the moment." I answered with equal shock as I sought to remember if Garth had mentioned that he was expecting visitors.

"Do you know when he'll be back? This is kind of important." The taller man said in a clipped tone.

"It should be soon enough. You can come in and wait for him here if you'd like." I replied, awkwardly gesturing into the room behind me. The men shared a look for a seconds before nodding and I stepped aside to let them in. I stayed by the door while they examined the front room, looking at Garth's book collection and rifling through the papers on his desk. I felt as though I should say something, but the tall one beat me to it.

"So who are you anyways? Last time I checked, Garth wasn't living with anyone." He looked curious with only a hint of suspicion. More than could be said for the other man.

"My name is Alice, I'm a friend of Garth's and he's letting me stay here while my apartment is being renovated. There was a fire and my room got hit pretty hard." The lies flowed so easily now that I was barely aware that I was even making them.

"Sorry to hear that. I'm Sam and this is my brother Dean. We're friends of Garth as well."

"You're the Winchesters right? Garth's already told me so much about you." I forced a smile and stuck out my hand. I had expected them to look a lot scarier and a lot less Ken doll. Sam reached out first to shake my hand and then Dean afterwards, both who had uneasy looks on their faces after doing so. A shot of worry passed through my mind, I was hoping my true self wasn't too obvious.

"Please sit down. I'll get you both something to drink." I headed into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of beers. Garth didn't drink all that much but he did keep some around for visiting hunters. I returned to the living room to see them both eyeing me suspiciously now and I had to fight to keep the smile plastered on my face. We made small talk for around half an hour, touching on subjects that were all too impersonal. I couldn't help but notice how guarded they kept themselves, and I was all too happy to do the same. The formalities danced around until Garth came back and I could see the visible relief on both of their faces. Garth made a big show of giving both Winchesters big hugs which they only returned grudgingly.

"It's so great to see you guys again! Is there anything you need?" Garth beamed at our small group.

"Yeah, we need to talk actually. Preferably alone." Dean directed this towards me and I stood up to leave the room. Garth opened his mouth to protest but I waved him away.

"No, you guys talk. I have stuff to do anyways. It was nice to meet you Winchesters." I kept my voice cold and the only semi warm smile I received was from Sam. Dean just glowered as usual. I grabbed my coat and headed out the front door for a walk, hearing the start of hushed voices as the door shut behind me. My walk lasted about an hour, during which I argued with myself over my next course of action. As badly as I wanted to stay, it was obvious that most people could see right through me. Garth must somehow be immune to all the signs, probably because he only really sees the best in people. The Winchesters, however, were all too aware of the lack of blood that flowed through my veins. Yet, no matter how much I wanted to just run and never look back, the thought of the pain it would cause Garth kept me on the path back to the house. As I stepped back inside, I was both exhausted and frustrated at the situation. If only I didn't have so much to hide, everything would be so much easier.

"You're back just in time! Sam and Dean just left." Garth was sitting at his desk and he turned to smile at me, but there was something troubling him, I could feel it.

"That's good. What did you guys have to talk about?" I feigned interest.

"Just a friend they have that's staying on a boat of mine. Making sure he's safe and all that..." There was more he wasn't saying.

"And?" I prompted.

"Well...they seem to find you interesting. Dean thinks there's something off about you but he's always like that," Garth admitted. "Why didn't you tell me your apartment burned down? I don't remember you ever saying anything about that."

"It didn't. I just thought the actual story of us meeting is probably a bit weird to most people so I lied a little. No harm done." I felt all the blood drain out of my face. Garth didn't look all that convinced.

"And yet, why do I get the feeling you've lied to me too?" It wasn't particularly accusatory but I froze all the same.

"I-I haven't. Honestly, Garth, I've told you everything. Most people don't do that for people they've just met." I stammered slightly feeling my facade crumble around me. I was never good with confrontation and I couldn't hold myself together much longer. Garth continued to stare and I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes and finally one slid down my cheek, eliciting a shocked look from him.

"What are you?" He asked incredulously, standing up from his desk and backing away slowly. I reached up and put a hand to my cheek, wiping the tear away. Looking down at my hand, I saw a bright red smudge on it.

"Please Garth, I can explain! I promise this time." I begged moving towards shook his head at me and backed up further, reaching into his pocket for his gun.

"Stay away from me!" Who knew four words could hurt worse than drowning.

"I'm a monster, Garth, no better than the ones you kill. I wanted to tell you but I couldn't, I was scared to," It was all coming out now. "I'm a reaper, Garth. That's why I have no name. I lied about my past, I'm sorry but you would've killed me on the day we met if you knew the truth. Hurting you was the last thing I wanted to do, and apparently I went about it the wrong way." I tried to keep my voice even but it faltered at the end and after I finished I fled to my room. Not even bothering to undress, I threw myself into bed and curled up into a tight ball under the covers. After several minutes the door creaked open and I shut my eyes tightly, knowing what was next. He would try to kill me and I wouldn't die, it would be the absolutely worst feeling in the world. As the footsteps drew closer, I begged my father to allow it to happen, to allow me to die. I had learned my lesson, I was done with earth. I would go back to being a reaper and I would never breathe a word of this again.

I cringed in anticipation as the side of the bed sunk down slightly with added weight but nothing bad happened. No knife found it's way between my ribs, no gun fired, no nothing. Instead, an arm fixed itself firmly around my body as Garth laid down beside me and I found myself sobbing again, in relief and confusion this time. And to Garth's credit, he did his best to comfort me as my cries filled the room and the pillowcase turned a dark crimson.


	5. A Ghost To Bring People Together

I woke up to an empty bed, not surprising since the light filtering in between the blinds was bright enough to Be from a midday sun. I got up slowly, joints aching, and walked into the kitchen to find Garth. He sat at the table, a mug of coffee in front of him as he read through a terribly old book. As I approached, he closed it with a snap and a small puff of dust escaped from between the pages. I stood on the opposite end of the table, expecting one of two extremes; for him to either get up and hug me or tell me to grab my coat and leave.

Neither happened however, he just stayed quiet, running a finger along the faded lettering on the book's covering. I noticed dark shadows underneath his eyes and instantly felt a pang of guilt.

"How long have you been up" I asked timidly, taking a seat at the table.

"A while." Was his only response before he lapsed back into silence. I could tell he was avoiding my gaze. Heaving a sigh, I placed my head in my hands and stared straight at him, willing him to say anything. It was ten minutes before my efforts paid off.

"I was reading about...your kind." He admitted, still not looking up.

"And?"

"Well it's nothing I didn't expect. But none of it explains why you're here. Reapers don't just become human."

"I'm here because I'm...I'm crap at being a Reaper." My words received a slight snort from Garth.

"How is that possible?"

"Because...no one crosses over for me. I've never been able to convince anyone that it's better on the other side. They all stay and all end up the same tortured souls. The same manevolent ghosts. And it's all my fault. So I was given a chance, a chance to save a life instead of take one. To do something good to cancel out all the bad that comes with my career. I'm here because I chose to be here and that's not looking like the right decision anymore." I left out the consequence of saving a life but he didn't need to know that. Not yet.

"So you're leaving?" He looked troubled.

"I assume you want me to."

"I did. I thought about it this morning and I realized that these past two weeks that I've known you have been the best of my life so I want you to stay." It was cheesy but touching. I smiled and reached across the table to hold his hand.

"Then I will."

We spent the rest of the day training, he felt my skills were far below par for a new hunter so he made sure I could shoot a gun and defend myself from demons.

"Normally I can just touch people and they die. All this aiming and stuff seems completely pointless in comparison." I grumbled as I missed the target once again. It was only after three hours that I could hit at least half the targets but I still needed a lot of work.

"That should be enough! I have some suspicious deaths to investigate tonight, and I think you're prepared enough to join me." Garth said throwing an arm around my shoulders. I was pleased to finally join another hint, but less so when I found out the disguises Garth had picked out.

"I'm not wearing this!" I said distastely prodding the short skirt and nylons.

"Why? All FBI agents dress like that."

"In a porn film maybe, the answer is no." I replied, throwing the low cut top at his face. In the end I came up with a more respectable looking business suit that had a pocket just large enough for the fake ID Garth had made for me. We went to the coroners first, to examine the body. It was that of a young women who had died from impalement on her own bedroom door frame.

"Don't know how she managed it. Her hands are torn to shreds and the hole is rather small so we imagine the victim clawed her way through the wood and then got caught on a jagged piece and bled out. Don't know why she didn't just open the door, the police say it wasn't locked." The coroner explained, lifting the sheet to show the state of the women's hands. They were full of wood splinters.

"Interesting, and there have been three other deaths identical to this?" Garth said, showing genuine interest in the destruction of the hands.

"Yes, all in the last two weeks. None of the bodies have shown any indication as to why the victims all died this way. All the toxicology reports came back negative and nothing has been turned up at the from scenes."

"Interesting." Garth said again. "Well thank you for the information, Agent Lennon and I must be on our way." We shook hands with the coroner once more and left the room. Just as we were about to leave, I noticed a couple of familiar faces talking to the front receptionist. The lady pointed in our direction and Sam and Dean turned to face us with looks of exasperation.

"Hey! What a coincidence seeing you guys again!" Garth exclaimed and ran over to force them to endure more of his hugs.

"Cut the crap, Garth. What are you doing here? They won't let us in to see the body because you beat us to it. And Agent Lennon and McCartney? The Beatles? Really?" Dean growled

"It was the only names I could come up with in a pinch. And besides, I stole some of the crime scene photos so you can look at those." Garth said unperturbed as he pulled a stack of photos out of his jacket. Dean made sure the receptionist wasn't ewatching before snatching them away, and stowing them in his own jackets.

"We got it from here. You guys can go home." Sam said

"Why don't we do it, together? The more the merrier, plus this look likes a rather powerful spirit we're dealing with." Dean looked as though he was going to protest to this but Garth grabbed a hold of his arm and continued talking as he dragged him out the door. "You guys can follow us, I have the address of the most recent victim's home in my phone already, we can go for supper and then head over once the cops have cleared out."

Sam and I smirked at each other before following them out the door. After a quick dinner, we headed to the lady's house as the sun began to set. She lived alone so there was no need to come up with an excuse for visiting; Dean just picked the lock and we were all set. As expected there was police tape set up everywhere and had to be careful not to disturb too much. The first course of action was to head up to the main bedroom.

"Creepy decorations." Sam commented, nodding towards a bejeweled skull sitting on a bookshelf.

"Creepy only in the sense that it's so tacky it hurts to look at it." Dean replied shaking his head. "And look at what we've got here."

He had stopped in front of a large wooden door with a sizeable hole in it. The edges were completely encrusted with dried blood. Looking around, he started sniffing the air slightly.

"Definitely sulphur, Sam, go check the other bedrooms, see if there's any EMF, Garth go with him. Alice, you're with me,we'll check this main one." Dean commanded, automatically taking control as I assumed was the norm for him. The others nodded and left and before I could enter the bedroom, he handed me a large metal rod.

"Iron. It won't kill the ghost but it'll get rid of it momentarily. Check the drawers in that vanity for anything useful, I'll check the closet." He said opening the door and giving me a slight push into the room. Feeling slightly annoyed with him, I nonetheless began my search and it wasn't long before I found something interesting.

"Dean? What were the names of the other victims?"

"Uhhhh...Mary Andrews, Susan Pines, Jessica Linley, and Dawn Smith. Why?"

"I think they were all in correspondence by the looks of it. Members of the same book club or something," I said, rifling through the pile of letters I found. "And there's a lot of pictures of that ugly skull attached to these. Looks like they took turns adding glitter to it."

"The sisterhood of the traveling cranium? Just a mildly disturbing thing to pass around." Dean said peering over my shoulder.

"I dunno, the skull's actually kinda cute in an Elton-John-threw-up-on-it sort of way. Look, they did mini photoshoots with it." I saidm , holding up the pictures to the fading light.

"Well it could be a clue, so I'm gonna go check it out, you stay here and keep looking." Dean said as he left the room. I shrugged and resumed my search until a strange shadow passed over the mirror. Frowning, I looked into it and saw only my reflection. It appeared normal at first, but the features began to distort. My eyes sunk deep into my skull until they became all but shadows; the mouth pulled open into a silent scream and the cheeks split open revealing shiny bone. I jumped away from the vanity and opened my mouth to say something when the whole table began to shake and the figure burst threw the mirror, sending glass in all directions. The ghost began to fly all over the room, throwing whatever was within reach.

"Alice! Are you OK?" Garth came pelting into the room, closely followed by Sam. They both ducked to avoid a high heel shoe that promptly embedded itself in the walk behind them.

"Oh yeah, just fine. We were just getting to know each other, that's all" I shouted back to him, taking refuge behind a wardrobe. All at once the ghost gave an ear piercing shriek and disappeared. The silence following all but rang through the room and it was several moments before we left our various hiding spots.

"That was weird. No wonder they clawed their way out of the bedroom door. I bet the damn thing locks the door itself. I wonder where it-"

"Garth look out!" I shouted, cutting off his speech as the ghost appeared behind him, clawed hands raised. Before Garth or Sam could react, I swung the iron pipe at the spirit, sending it spiralling away into dust.

"You saved me!" Garth said in an awed tone of voice.

"Yeah, great, we still have to find the damn thing again." I said looking around cautiously.

"Marry me."

"What?" Before Garth could respond, all hell broke loose again. The ghost came back with just as much destructive power as before, adding a derisive shriek to each one of its attacks.

"MARRY. ME." Garth shouted over the din, dodging a set of chemistry textbooks.

"We've know each other for only two weeks. I hardly think that's enough time to decide you want to marry someone." I yelled as I swung the pipe at the ghost, missing it by inches.

"Is this really the time to be discussing this, guys?" Sam said incredulously as he attempted to hide beneath the bed, a sight that would've been comical in any other situation.

"Alice, I don't care what you are or what your past is like, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you." Garth said in a muffled voice as he covered his face in protection against a rain of pottery from a smashed vase.

"I dont think it's a good idea...you know nothing about me." The walls themselves were shaking with the force of the spirit's shrieks and I doubted that I was heard.

"I don't care! I know enough to know that you're the one for me."

"Buy me dinner first..."

"Please Alice..."

"Oh alright, fine, my answer is yes!" I gave one last shout and not moments later, the ghost began to burn up, being reduced to nothing more than ashes that fell silently to the floor.

"The power of love conquers all. That ghost got garthed!" Garth said with the biggest smile I had ever seen.

"Actually, I just burned that creepy ass skull and it seemed to do the trick." Dean's voice floated in from the hallway and he peered into the room with a look of concern on his face. "Everyone okay?"

"WE'RE ENGAGED." Garth said loudly, punching a fist into the air. " I hope you have a nice suit Dean, you get to be best man!"

The look on Dean's face had Sam and I laughing for hours.


	6. Hate Runs Deep

Thank you for all the reviews! :)

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Being engaged to Garth felt like doing everything backwards. While he was keen on eloping in Vegas, I leaned more towards practicality and insisted that we waited a while. I constantly questioned my own decision in agreeing to marry him, we hadn't even been dating when he had asked me. To his credit though, he tried his best to be a good fiancé. There was hardly a morning where I didn't wake up to a vase of fresh flowers, and he took me out on as many dates as his work schedule allowed. After a few months we fell into a routine that I was comfortable with but Garth wanted more from. I failed to see his need to be married right away and had to put my foot down on more than one occasion when he brought up the topic of what we'd name our kids.

Despite these minor grievances, I was more or less content with life as I knew it until one day, about six months after the world's weirdest proposal, I couldn't shake off an odd sense of unease that filled me. Even Garth noticed my apparent distress and tried everything he could to distract me from it to no avail. Just as he had started to flip through books for a solution, something that probably would've been useless anyways, there was a knock on the door and he abandoned his efforts to go answer it. I stood curiously in the kitchen doorway and immediately knew the reason behind my anxiety as soon as the door was flung open. Sam and Dean entered the house, dodging hugs as usual, but it wasn't them I was worried about. Rather, it was the man in the trench coat behind them. Feeling like a dog with its hackles raised, I retreated into the kitchen to avoid the angel. I didn't have a reason to fear him, angels in general just creeped me out. In all honesty, a lot of things creeped me out, myself included, but something about angels had just always put me on edge. Their true size, over abundance of bright light, and blind faith was what made them stand out as the worst. The religious aspect was not the issue, people are free to believe in what they want, it's the angels' way of twisting it that's the problem. Regardless of religion, at the end of the day, there is no escaping death. It is, or was, the one consistent fact of life. Being a reaper, this is something I believed wholeheartedly in despite my aversion to it. But every since angels started walking the earth again, they created chaos for us reapers. The angel that had entered with the Winchesters was no different. I recognized him as Castiel, perhaps the most annoying one of them all. A confusing man who couldn't seem to make up his mind between saving people who were supposed to be dead and killing off half of the angel population. I was a hypocrite for disliking him for that but I couldn't always control my feelings.

"Alice! Come meet Castiel!" Garth's voice broke through my thoughts and I forced myself to put a smile on my face as I walked into the living room and extended my hand towards the angel. He took it but as soon as our skin made contact, an odd look passed over his face.

"You're not human." He observed and I felt my heart drop. "You are but you aren't."

"Reaper." Castiel said after a moment of silence and dropped my hand immediately. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dean stiffen almost imperceptibly. Garth and I had agreed not to tell him and Sam this fact in case they reacted badly.

"What? How is that possible, Reapers can't be human." Dean gave a small chuckle of disbelief but shifted uncomfortably all the same.

"I don't know how she's doing it but there's no mistaking it." Castiel said distrustfully.

"Speak for yourself, angelface." I growled as all warmth left the room and was replaced by tension so thick, Dean could have cut it with his knife had he not been so busy pointing it at my chest.

"What the hell is a Reaper doing on earth? Are you after Sam and I?" Dean said assuming the worst, as always.

"Well, we're rather vain now aren't we! No, Dean Winchester, I am not after you, your brother, pretty boy featherpants, or even Garth." I said angrily.

"Well you'd better explain yourself real quick before I gank your ass back to whatever ,eased up afterlife you came from." Dean said taking a step forward before Garth leaped between the two of us.

"Don't hurt her, Dean. She doesn't mean any harm." Garth said, trying to diffuse the situation as best he could.

"Wait, you knew your fiancée was a Reaper and you still didn't kill her? I'm really beginning to wonder what sort of hunter you are, Garth." Dean said disbelievingly once more. "Move out of the way before you get hurt."

"No."

"I'm serious, Garth. She may say she won't hurt you, but I've dealt with Reapers before and they're just bad news all around."

"No."

"Garth, get out of the way. Of he wants to kill me, let him try." I said through gritted teeth as I shoved Garth off to the side. He tried to jump back in the middle but Sam grabbed a hold of him and held him back.

"Take him out of here, Sammy. I have a few words for Alice and I'd rather we be akone,." Dean said, not taking his eyes off of me. Sam dragged Garth into the kitchen and Castiel hung around for a few more seconds before hesitantly following them.

"Just you and me, Dean. So what's it gonna be? Are you really gonna kill me?"

"Not until you tell me why you're here." He was persistent, I would give him that.

"My business is my own and even if I did explain it to you, you'd never believe me. I didn't lie though, I truly don't mean any of you any harm." My words did little to help.

"I always knew there was something off about you, I just couldn't figure it out. I'm sorry Alice, but I can't just let you go. There's no place for you here." I wish I could say his words cut deeper than his knife did, but the pain of having the blade slide deep into my stomach was the most agonizing thing I had ever experienced. Tessa didn't even bother to appear this time and I really couldn't blame her. A look of shock crossed Dean's faced as he pulled his knife out, the blade still clean, and I collapsed to the floor.

"Why aren't you dead?" He asked in a scared voice.

"Because I can't die, it's one of the conditions of me being here!" I gasped out as I clutched my stomach. "Nothing you do can kill me so you might as well just leave me alone."

"You'll just end up killing someone yourself. Most likely Garth." Dean said though with not as much conviction as before.

"What will it take to convince you that that's not true? Honestly Dean, I won't hurt anyone, especially not Garth. I am his fiancée and in a weird way I suppose I love him. Please Dean, just stop, there's no use in trying to get rid of me. I'm here to stay, nothing will change that. I'm human now, let me be one." I pleaded with him. I waited for him to respond, and he almost reluctantly held a hand out to me and I took it, allowing myself to be pulled to my feet.

"You're not human, you're far from it." Dean grumbled. "But I guess there's no point in killing you if you can't die. And besides, Garth probably woouldnt appreciate me killing his bride-to-be."

"Thank you."

"Just promise me you won't hurt him. Ever. Garth, as weird as he is, is a good guy and if anything happens to him, you're not gonna be so lucky next time."

"I promise." I said as we headed into the kitchen where Sam was struggling to maintain a hold on Garth who looked visibly relieved to see us.

"I knew you wouldn't kill her, Dean! That would be a little too mean, even for you." Garth said smiling and Dean flinched next to me.

"Oh yeah, we just had a nice chat." I responded with only a subtle hint of sarcasm that Castiek seemed to notice but flew straight over Garth's head. I covered the rip in my shirt with my arm and Sam finally let go of Garth who immediately ran over to my side.

"Now that that's all sorted out, what did you guys come here for anyways?" Garth asked curiously.

"You know what, it's really not important. C'mon Sam, Cas, we should leave the lovebirds alone and get back on our way. I could really use a beer right about now." Dean said loudly, shooting a glare at Sam who looked as though he was about to protest. Ushering the other two out the door without even a goodbye, Dean gave a tight smile to Garth and a warning glance to me before shutting the door behind himself. I felt my stress leave with them and was almost back to normal until Garth spoke up.

"I've been thinking, what do you think of the name 'Deanna' for our daughter?"


	7. A Marriage And Something Else

The wedding was exactly eight months after we met. It was simple, but beautiful and while only a few people showed up, it was still more than I was expecting. Dean had grudgingly agreed to be best man and Sam, because I didn't really know anyone else, both gave me away and stood as my maid of honour. It was something Dean teased him relentlessly about but I didn't force him to wear a dress. The few other people to show up were mostly relatives of Garth and a few hunters who I figured just couldn't believe that it was actually happening. I could've sworn I saw Tessa sitting in the corner but when I turned to get a better look, she was gone. There was no sign of my father but I didn't really mind. While wedding's are generally regarded as the bride's day, I saw this more as Garth's. He wanted this more than anything, and the look on his face as I walked down the aisle made all the stress I had over this worth it.

After the ceremony, the reception was held at our house And to my great surprise, a good number of people stayed well into the late hours of the night. Naturally the last ones to leave were Sam, Dean and Can, all who had far too much to drink but were affected in all different ways. While Garth called a cab, I had to coax my veil off of Sam's head and convince Dean that no, putting his tie on his head and dancing on the table did not make him Jimi Hendrix. Cas was mostly unaffected by his alcohol consumption but did stagger a little too much when Dean bumped into him.

"I think you're both crazy for doing but better be crazy than unmarried!" Sam slurred in what he thought was a wise way.

"I'm obligated to say this now, Garth, if you hurt Alice in any way I will kick your ass so hard that you'll lose the "T" in your name." Dean said shaking his fist at Garth with mock seriousness.

"Thanks, Dean. That doesn't make sense but I'll take it." I said to him, reaching out for a goodbye hug.

"Promise me you won't hurt him either, he's a good kid and I'd hate to see him crushed." Dean murmured in a surprisingly sober tone of voice.

"I will, I promise." I whispered back and he gave me a satisfied nod as he let go. After a few more minutes of sorting out coats, they finally left and the house settled once more into silence. A content silence though, unlike one I had ever experienced before. It carried on for several more months in our marriage as I found myself falling back into the old routine that had served us well before. The only sign of trouble came in the form of a reoccurring night,are that began to plague me on a nightly basis. In it I would be walking through the same forest where Garth and I found the Kappa and I'd find myself back at the edge of the dark lake and on the other side sat my father holding a small, loudly crying bundle in his arms. I'd run over to him and snatch the bundle out of his arms, feeling the need to protect and soothe the child within it.

"You are a reaper. You don't give life, you take it." My father would say, looking pointedly at the now silent bundle in my arms. I'd look down only to see pale blue lips and glazed over eyes. I'd wake up in a cold sweat and feeling sick to my stomach. It was a few weeks before I caught on to the meaning.

"Garth, I need to tell you something." I said to him one morning about a year after we first met.

"Yes?" He looked over from his desk curiously.

"I'm pregnant."


	8. Never Expect Much

I apologize for all the long waits in between chapters! I own nothing but my own character.

Also sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed at points!

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I clenched my fists and narrowed my eyes at the book sat on my bedside table.

"Garth! You left your book on my side of the bed again." I said sweetly placing it in front of him on his desk. Two could play at this game.

"Oh, my bad. You can borrow it if you want." He feigned innocence in such a way that I vaguely considered punching him in the face. I could just so easily blame the hormones.

" 'What To Expect When You're Expecting'? Sorry, it's really not up my alley. I'll put it back into your bookshelf along with the baby name bible and child raising for dummies."

" I just thought you might find it informative. You could just give it a peek, even skip to the six months along section..." He wheedled hopefully.

"No, we've talked about this. No doctors, no books, and no stupid classes. I can do this on my own. I'll go to a hospital when this thing wants out but not before then." I knew I was being irrational about everything but I couldn't shake my deep loathing of doctors. Being a reaper means you get to see your fair share of corrupt ones and the problems they've caused.

"Don't call our baby a 'thing'. He or she is a person too, you know." Garth was outraged.

"It's cute when you use proper pronouns. Call me when you have a case for us." I grabbed my coat and left before he could say anymore. The daily walks I took were my only escape from him for the moment. He had become ridiculously overbearing and I know he meant well, he just didn't have a clue what he was doing. I couldn't blame him, I didn't know either. I had hardly gone two blocks when my phone rang.

"Found anything interesting or are you just gonna tell me about back alley ultrasounds with no doctor involved?" I said peevishly when I answered.

"Ummmm...no, I do have a case for us though. Are you and Garth fighting again?" It was Dean.

"Sorry, we just had a little one. He's still pushing the Lamaze classes even after I threatened to push him off a cliff."

"Harsh, maybe you should see a doctor. They have hospitals with padded cells now I hear, perfect for you. But anyways, something's been tormenting the residences of a town just a couple hours from here and I was wondering if you wanted to come with Sam and I to check it out. If you're up for it of course, I don't want to get in the way of your Lamaze.."

"Shut up, we'll meet you at your hotel." I hung up on him and headed back towards the house. Thankfully Garth didn't bring up my fragility and beg me to stay behind although he did insist on driving even though I was more than perfectly capable of it. We managed to refrain from arguing long enough to meet up with Sam and Dean.

"So, what exactly are we dealing with?" I asked curiously.

"Not too sure. Seems like a spirit of some sort although the newspapers keep calling it "the Goatman," so we may be dealing with something that's gonna eat our hats." Dean said, flipping through a small stack of papers.

"Any merit to this story?" Garth said.

"Well, the five dead bodies would say so. All died of blood loss from various wounds including claw marks and bite marks. The piece de resistance is the giant gaping hole they're all left with in their abdomens." Sam replied.

"Okay...Doesn't sound like it will be too hard to find the guy if the legend proves correct. Any man with a goat's head tends to stick out a little." I said shrugging.

"You're into urban legends now?" Dean looked overly surprised.

"I read."

"I wasn't aware you could." Dean`s last comment had Sam jumping in front of me before I could do anything.

"Mark my words, Winchester. You'll be the first to go when I'm a reaper again." I hissed at Dean, trying to duck under Sam's arm.

"Can we just go now? Or do you two just wanna battle it out to the death over who has the lamer insults?" Sam sighed as he shoved his brother out the hotel door to the car. The rest of the drive was filled with an only partly uncomfortable silence that was broken only by Dean's occasional swearing as I kicked the back of his chair.

"Are you five years old? Quit it out before I turn this car around, so help me God!" Dean growled under his breath.

"You know, a family once died this way. The little boy kicked his dad's seat one too many times and the man just snapped. swerved straight off the road and into a river bank. All of them passed over except for that man. Is that gonna be you Dean?" I said sweetly, leaning in close to the back of his chair.

"Garth, restrain your wife before I do something drastic." Dean muttered through clenched teeth. I leaned back satisfied and resumed the occasional kick to the back of his chair. My time on earth was truly starting to cause my maturity to regress. We arrived at the town in no time flat and immediately saw cause for concern; all the windows and doors were boarded up and the streets were completely empty. Not a single sound could be heard apart from the whistle of the wind through the trees lining the streets. It was as though we had stepped foot into a ghost town.

"Are you sure this is the right town?" Sam said skeptically, trying to peer into a blacked out shop window.

"I did. This is definitely creepy enough to be our town. Let's split up. Fitzgeralds down that road." Dean pointed to a back alley. "And the Winchesters will take main street. Phone if anything weird happens." Garth and I set off, not expecting to find much and we weren't disappointed. The most to try and bother us was a mangy cat that popped out of a dumpster. Our efforts only led us down a number of confusing side streets that all contained the same boarded up buildings. We were beginning to wonder if we had been walking in circles when Garth's phone rang.

"Hello? Do you find anything?...Uhuh...uhuh...alright, we'll be right there." Garth hung up the phone almost as quickly as he had answered.

"They said they found someone wandering around near a bakery so we'll meet up with them there." Garth explained as he somehow managed to retrace our steps and find said bakery in a relatively short amount of time. Sam and Dean were standing under the decrepit scaffolding talking to a rather nervous looking woman. She was responding in only single word sentences and winced every time someone else spoke. As if their voices caused her great pain.

"So, what's the deal?" Garth called over to them as we approached. The woman nearly jumped out of her skin and peered frantically around every corner of the bakery.

"Nice going, Garth. We're not supposed to talk loudly." Dean groaned in an equally loud voice. Hypocrite.

"Have you found out anything about the Boatman?" I whispered, trying my hardest to keep my voice down. While the woman flinched at the name, she did give me a grateful smile which I returned in kind.

"Yeah, Jessica here told us that alleged Goatman has been terrorizing the town for quite some time now. After the most recent death, everybody's locked themselves in their houses. She only left because she ran out of food." Sam followed my lead in whispering and he too, received a smile.

"It's mostly active at dark apparently, and we dont have much daylight left so let's go to the woods where the bastard is hiding and gank him." Dean still spoke much louder than he should and gestured to Jessica to lead the way. She took us through many a winding street, always checking each corner before proceeding, and finally a small outcropping of trees popped up before us. Hardly a forest.

"Well, I guess Sam, Garth and I will check this out while Preggo and Jessica stay behind. Try not to get too scared and pee yourself, alright?" He gave me a mocking pat on the head as he headed into the trees.

"I'll leave that up to you, Dean. Don't think Sam didnt tell me!" I yelled after him.

"I got hit by a car! That's different." His last words were muffled and then cut off. Almost at once an uneasy silence fell and I found myself shifting closer to Jessica. There was nothing left to do but wait.

"I always wanted a baby." Jessica muttered shyly after a few minutes. From the light of our flashlights I could see her looking fondly at my distended stomach. "But the doctor says I can't..."

"You can have mine." I offered.

"Your husband wouldn't be too pleased, I think. You shouldn't be either." She spoke matter of factly.

"I just dont think this is for me."

"No one does. That's the joy of it. You just get to learn as you go, no guidebook will help. But then it's all oksay..." She spoke wistfully.

"Well I'll tell you what, you can come babysit for me. God knows, I'll need the help."

"Can I come back with you guys? I've always wanted to leave this town. If I stay here I'll have to be a shopkeeper like my parents and there parents before them. You're born into your job here." She spoke to her hands and my heart went out to her.

"I hear ya. I'm sure there's room in the impala, you can sleep in the nursery while we find you somewhere else to stay." I said leaning back on my elbows. There was rustling in the trees behind me and I frowned.

"Back so soon? Didnt find anything?" I called out, expecting a snarky response. There was nothing. Unnerved, I felt an insistent tugging on my sleeve and looked over to see Jessica already standing and trying to pull me away. Her eyes were trained on something emerging from the woods.

"Get behind me." She hissed as she yanked me to my feet. The beam of my flashlight hit the thing just right and illuminated it's features. The elongated face with oval eyes that were too far apart and cheekbones that jutted out farther than I thought possible was way more terrifying than Dean's previous description. It moved towards us in an odd fashion; almost as though it's joints were working against one another instead of together. It began making a small murmuring noise and would start violently shivering every few seconds. Without warning it gave a loud shriek and seemed to sink into the bushes. I could almost hear Jessica's heart pounding as we continued backing away.

"It doesnt look like a goat." I hissed at her.

"Because he isn't. He just used to raise them. Jeremy Johns, I spent most of my childhood teasing him and then he disappeared one day. Oh god, why did I do that." Her voice was reaching a hysterical pitch. Without warning, the boatman reappeared, scuttling along the ground at an unnatural speed. It got about two feet from Jessica before we realized that we had no weapons.

"Fuck you!" She screamed, bringing the heel of her boot down on it's head. Her foot went straight through to the ground and the goatman shrieked once more before disappearing completely.

"Holy shit, you just curb stomped it." I said in awe as I stared at the spot where it had been. Jessica blushed and was about to say something when another rustling in the trees caught our attention. This time, the boys emerged and I opened my mouth to gloat about how we had been the ones to stop the goatman. Before I could speak, it reappeared straight in front of Jessica and plunged a clawed hand straight through her stomach. As she fell to the ground, writhing in pain, the goatman disappeared once more. Dean was suddenly beside me, taking off his jacket and placing it over her wound, applying as much pressure as he could.

"Sammy! Go get help." He yelled to his brother's already retreating back. I did the best I could to put more pressure on the wound but it wasnt enough; Jessica's blood was already soaking the jacket and her lips began to fade in colour.

"Save her, Alice!" Garth's voice sent a thread of panic down my spine.

"I can't!"

"Yes you can, you said so yourself."

"I can't, I just can't."

"Do it now, Alice. She's dying." It was Dean's voice this time, filled with a fear I hadn't heard before. The situation was beyond even his control. My only response was to release my hold and back away from the group until I slammed into a large rock. I could only watch as Jessica's movements slowed and then stilled. Dean eventually took his hands off her body and sighed heavily.

"I guess we're done here."

"What about the goatman? It'll be back." I stared at him in confusion.

"It won't, we'll burn the woods to be safe but it already got it's intended targets. Based on the hate mail and torn up pictures we found, Jessica was part of a group of tormentors who made a living out of harassing the guy. There were six of them in total, the other five were our previous victims." Dean replied, gingerly draping his blood soaked coat over his arm. By the time we caught up with Sam, the majority of the townspeople had emerged from their houses. Dean relayed the news and an older lady, Jessica's mom I assumed, burst into tears and had to be lead away. Our farewell was just as frosty as the ride back to the house. By the time Garth and I got inside, I could tell he was livid.

"What if that had been our baby."

"Pardon?" I stared at him incredulously.

"What if our baby needed saving, would you do it?"

"That's an entirely different situation, Garth. Dont apply it to what just happened."

"Why not? You said you could save lives so why didnt you?" This made me angry.

"I can save one life, Garth, only one. And then you wanna know what happens? I go back to being a Reaper. There is no save a life and live happily ever after. I die and never get to be human again. This is a one and done deal and I'm sorry if I'm not too keen on leaving yet." I could see the colour drain from his face.

"You'd leave me?"

"I wasnt even expecting to stay this long. But when it comes down to it, there's only one person I'd sacrifice myself for and I really hope I never have to."

"You won't. We will have our happily ever after. In three months Deanna or Garth Fitzgerald V will be born and we can leave this all behind and start fresh. We can live somewhere safe. We dont have to be hunters for the rest of our lives." Garth looked so hopeful again.

I gave him a sad smile. "I wish I could believe that, Garth, I really wish I did."


End file.
